Potentially United
by Autumn Win-Dow
Summary: Was it really just a coincidence? After many years of separation, Amu can't help but be shocked when within the span of a month, each of the eight people closest to her in her high school days appear in front of her eyes. Some to reunite, some to follow, and oddly - one to run away again. Canon couples.
1. What Potential Did

Potential. A word defined as something that will later develop into future success. And it turns out, all of them have it.

As the youngest hit the age of 18, the group had started to drift apart.

Our main character, the well known 'Cool n' Spicy' girl with the radical pink hair had found a new love and talent - acting. After her nationwide success in a TV drama, she had been offered many major roles in movies from adventure, horror, sci-fi and romance. However, there had been many rumours about her spreading through the media, based on one fact - she _never_ acted in a romance.

Her best friend, the petite girl with the luscious blonde hair and the beautiful face, had finally become her would be self. She was immediately scouted as a comedian, and is now known worldwide as the 'dainty girl with the sly mouth'. Rumours also spread around her at the peak of her success however, because fans were more observant than credited for. She _never_ talked about her childhood.

The first Jack's Chair, the outgoing boy with the spiky maroon hair, was now in the national soccer team as one of their best and fairest players. Many young boys looked up to him as an idol, and even girls took a liking to sport after hearing about him. However, none of the fans knew that he was still restrained in his mind - he couldn't play any other sport, now that he was an official soccer player. So he _never_ did.

The King's Chair and the second Jack's Chair had collaboratively started a business, and now they were co-founders and CEOs for that corporation. With the seaweed green haired boy's organisational skills and the prince-like, blonde boy's well improved speaking skills, they were on the face of every magazine as the two young men who aspired in the business world. But now, it seemed that they _never_ had any more fun.

The playful, baby-like Ace's Chair with the chestnut brown hair and chocolate orbs used her excited personality to her advantage. She became a popular MC who ranged from TV game shows to a reporter of major events worldwide. Everyone in Japan loved her attitude to the shows, and the ratings always boosted whenever she was involved in the production. However, she _never_ made any friends.

Even after acting and cross-dressing as a female for twelve years, the indigo haired boy maintained his passion for Japanese dance. After his name became popular, the enrolments to learn Japanese dance tripled over time. Even though they knew he was a boy with long hair acting as a girl, that didn't put the fans off one bit. But when he was interviewed one day, he said that he would _never_ fall in love again.

The hype returned once fans found out that the young blonde idol was returning to show business officially. It took a while for all of them to realise it, but when they did, the media went into a complete _frenzy_. 'YOUNG IDOL RETURNS CENTER STAGE' and 'THE LUNATIC BUTTERFLY IS BACK' were the common headlines on many newspapers, but fans noticed that she _never_ sang a song about love.

Finally, the navy haired boy- no, _man_ to be precise - had been discovered for his supreme skills as a musical prodigy. His concerts would always be sold out on the first day at the ticket booth, and he became well known for his intense, heart-clenching music. Nevertheless, one critic told the media that he was missing one vital element to his music. He said it _never_ expressed his own heart.

As all of them followed their 'potential', they _never _saw each other again.

Or so they thought.

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><p>Hello! This is an idea I wanted to write before I start cram studying for my yearlies, so I'll try to continue this story next week. Tell me if it's any good.<p>

Winwin

XD Please Rate & Review!


	2. Chapter 1

Well... people said it was a good idea... so here you go! I wrote this chap in class, along with the chap for my other story.

Enjoy! I do not own Shugo Chara.

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><p><em>HINAMORI AMU<em>

"So you would sacrifice yourself for that little brat? How… touching." Amu sneered at the trembling brunette in front of her. She slowly strutted towards the poor girl, clutching a sharp knife in her right hand.

The girl trembled, slowly backing away.

"Please... please... don't..." She whimpered as she set her eyes on the deadly cutting tool. The confident woman with the pink hair smirked, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

"Now…" Amu held up the knife with its blade gleaming in the streetlight. She started to slightly rotate it, in her small, leather enclosed hand. "Why would you do that?"

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><p>"And… Cut! That's it for today." The director yelled. She let out a sigh, which she was holding from the scene she had to act. Two staff members fluttered their way over to her.<p>

One took the knife - with an aluminium foil blade - away from her, and the other escorted her to the dressing room. Once she left the studio and its burning lights, she felt relieved.

As she got dressed into her usual attire, her manager, Hana, knocked on her door. Amu adjusted the belt on her black miniskirt and opened the door.

"That was great, Amu! Let's just go somewhere tonight." Hana exclaimed as Amu reapplied her lip gloss.

"No way. I want to rest today." Like a child, Hana shook her frantically.

"Come on, why? We never get free time! Just today, okay?" She whined. Knowing that she had no choice, Amu nodded.

"Fine. But where are we going?" Amu grabbed her purse and headed out, with Hana following her like a puppy.

"Can't tell you that. You'll find out when we get there. Mwahaha."

Hana's personality reminded Amu a lot like Yaya. They were both extremely childish in their own ways. Whenever she thought about it, it pierced her heart repetitively with imaginary spears. She sorely missed her friends, and she really wanted to see them, but she couldn't contact any of them due to her packed schedule.

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><p>Amu leaned in to the soft seat of Hana's car with her earphones plugged in her ears. Coincidentally, the song was Lunatic Butterfly, from years ago. Amu couldn't stop listening to the song that once stole many children's dreams from them, even though Lunatic Butterfly would equal Hoshina Utau. Amu continued humming the song until her dear manager's voice pierced her melodic thoghts.<p>

"Amu! We're here!" She felt the car stop at a large auditorium with an extremely long line of people trailing from the entrance.

"What is this, Hana?" She asked in disbelief. "I don't need anymore crowds, thank you very much. There's only so much a twenty three year old like me can take. No wonder you told me to disguise myself." Hana laughed.

"Don't jump to assumptions, Amu! It's not for you. It's a comedy show." Amu sighed in pure relief, but she reverted back when she realised Hana had said comedy.

"But why comedy?"

"I haven't seen you smile in ages! So I brought you to the best comedian in Japan." _What? Don't tell me…_

"Mashiro Rima." The two women said in unison. Hana looked at Amu in shock.

"How did you know? You hardly ever watch the television." Amu stared at the building in a mixture of surprise and bliss. _Rima! _Tears started to flow from her amber eyes.

"Oh my god… I can see her… my best friend…" She clasped her hands to her mouth. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You know Mashiro Rima? Well, you might as well call me the best manager in the universe. I got you a VIP pass." Suddenly, Amu hugged the shorter woman tightly, knocking the breath out of her.

"Hana! T-T-Thank you so much!" Amu's tears soaked through her shoulder sleeve.

"Okay, no need for this emotional replay. Let's get you there." Amu pulled back immediately.

"Yes, lets!" Hana giggled at her choice of words.

"Great, now we're naming the various games used in drama."

Hana pulled Amu to the back of the building, where two bulky men in black stood with their arms crossed. _Huh, I guess Rima still likes her security,_ Amu wondered to herself. Hana showed them her passes, and they stepped aside unwillingly, allowing them to enter the building.

And Amu started running.

"Hey, Amu! Wait!" She heard her manager shriek behind her.

She sprinted down many pristine hallways. The sound of Hana's quick heels on the tile floor made Amu tense. _What if Rima doesn't want to see me? _That was the start of Amu's internal 'what ifs'. She kept reciting them in her mind as she tried to find her dear friend.

After a while, Amu stopped at a door with a sign saying **Mashiro Rima - Authorized Personnel Only**. She was now really worried.

"So… Amu. You ready?" Hana gasped behind her. She gulped, knowing she _had _to do this, and nodded once. She raised her arm and knocked on the door three times.

"What is it? I thought I said I didn't want to see anyone until the show starts!" She easily recognised Rima's voice from inside. She sounded annoyed.

"R-R-Rima?" Amu whispered. She heard a clutter from inside.

"What the…" The door swung open and her blonde best friend from her childhood was staring up at her in confusion. Her face had matured so she actually looked like a young adult, and her hair was still the luscious golden from years ago. She was still very petite in size.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Rima demanded. Amu couldn't speak. She simply slipped off her sunglasses and her hoodie, letting her long pink hair tumble down her waist.

"I-It's me, Rima." Rima's eyes widened like plates.

"A-A-Amu? Is that you?" She choked out. Amu smiled slightly, and suddenly she felt something that was too familiar to her. Rima immediately hugged her waist tightly.

"I missed you, Amu! I can't believe you're here!" She wailed as Amu hugged her back.

"I missed you too, Rima. Sorry I couldn't see you."

"I don't care. Just… we can't lose contact again. You're still my best friend!" Amu was relieved at her words. All her 'what ifs' were forgotten instantly.

"We won't. There's no way I would, Rima. We're best friends." Rima finally let go of her waist and looked up at her with her teary, honey coloured eyes.

"Rima-san! It's time!" A male voice yelled from the end of the hallway. A middle aged man with glasses was waving frantically at her, and Rima sighed.

"Heh. I don't even want to do the show anymore. I just want to talk."

"You have to. You should've seen the line outside. They all love you and your comedy very much." She smiled at the smaller woman.

"Okay… but you have to stay." Rima's usual stubbornness was still intact. "Watch from the front row." Amu nodded, and followed Rima to where the man was waiting.

"I see… so now you've forgotten my presence. Sob, sob." She heard Hana sarcastically say from behind her.

"Oh yeah! Rima, I'd like to introduce you to someone." Rima looked back at confusion at the redhead behind Amu.

"This is Hana, my manager who got me these tickets. And this is Rima, my best friend." The two women shook hands rather graciously.

"Thank you, Hana. Thank you so much!" Rima whispered as she pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped her tears away. For some reason, Amu felt the other man stare at her with intensity, making her flinch.

"Amu, this is my manager, Namikawa. Namikawa, this is my best friend, Amu." Amu politely offered her hand, and he stared at her suspiciously.

"Hey… aren't you the actress Hinamori Amu?" She nodded once, and he grasped her hand and shook it vigorously.

"Nice to meet you!" _I don't like this guy. He creeps me out._

"Okay then, we need to get started, Rima-san. I will get someone to direct you two to your seats."

XXX

"That was amazing, Rima! You really have become your would be self!" Amu praised Rima when they arrived at Rima's house. She really wanted Amu to sleep over at her place to catch up. Rima blushed lightly.

"Really… thanks. I watched your latest movie, Amu. You're really good as well. I never knew you would act so well in that role!" Amu twiddled her thumbs nervously.

"I guess I just got into the role easily. It wasn't that hard… oh yeah! Did you hear from… the others lately?" Amu mumbled as she looked down in regret.

"No, I haven't. You miss them, don't you?"_ Of course I do._ Rima didn't need to hear an answer.

"Hey…" Amu looked up to see Rima in deep thought. She cocked her head in confusion.

"What are you considering, Rima?" Rima confidently looked up at Amu and smiled.

"Let's find them together, Amu!" _Eh?_

"But I can't! I'm too busy to do that… and I can't contact them via phone…" Rima rolled her eyes at her response.

"I know, if you could we wouldn't be in this situation. We need to dig some more." Amu hesitated.

"Rima, I told you, I don't-"

"Have time? I know, but I do. A comedian's schedule isn't nearly as complicated as one of an actress. So… are you in, Amu?" She noticed that Rima was more confident than her young self. _It's going to be hard… but I want to see them…_

"You know the answer, Rima. I'll help."

She couldn't bring herself to say no. Not when there was a shimmer of possibility that she would see them again.

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><p>Please Rate &amp; Review!<p> 


	3. Chapter 2

Exam week is over! Rejoice~~

New chapter, more of the characters are in it. I do not own shugo chara.

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><p><strong>MASHIRO RIMA<strong>

_I should have expected this._

Rima knew that Amu was busy, but she thought that she had at least two hours of free time.

Because of her assumption, she was alone in a crowd of crazy fans cheering for the national soccer team.

There was no way she could call any of her friends, but the trusty internet had told her that all of them had become quite successful, and due to hearing about the soccer quarter-finals being held in Japan, she used her connections to buy a ticket immediately. Souma Kukai was the easiest to find but because of her lack of communication with him, and the absence of Amu, it would just be plain_ awkward_. But Rima knew she had to do this - Kukai was like Amu's brother.

Rima had always _loathed_ sport. She watched in disgust as the players - all covered in dirt - ran across the field after a muddy ball. She adjusted her glasses, which were sliding down the bridge of her nose.

Rima knew that she would have to disguise herself in order for her plan to become a success. She loosely tied her hair up - something she rarely did, considering the tangled circumstances - and was wearing a white fedora.

She heard the umpire blow his whistle, and she squinted her eyes as she assessed the men in the Japanese team. A flash of maroon caught her eye, and she saw Kukai jogging towards the injured player from the other team. She watched as he helped the paramedics carry him off the field.

"Kyaah! Kukai-sama is so nice!" A teenager next to her squealed loudly. _Hmm… so he's popular with the girls, and he's still the good sport like he was five years ago,_ Rima thought.

She felt her phone vibrate. _Must be Amu, _Rima guessed in her mind and answered.

"Hey, Amu. Haven't been able to get to him yet. He's still playing."

"_Oh okay… he hasn't changed at all, has he?_" Rima snorted.

"What do you expect? He'll probably keep that happy-go-lucky attitude as long as you keep your hair pink. A.k.a. no chance it'll be lost."

"_...I guess you're right. Sorry about leaving you to do this yourself._"

"You should be. He's like your brother, not mine. I hardly even talked to him that much. You don't know how awkward a situation you've put me into."

"_Ahhh! I'm sorry, Rima!_"

"You're still so gullible, Amu. You haven't changed, either."

"_And why are we talking about this over the phone? Sorry, Rima. Gotta go. Bye!_" Then she heard a click on the other side.

The only thing Rima did was sigh.

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><p><em>HONK!<em>

The sound of the ending horn caught Rima's attention. She sleepily glanced at the scoreboard to see that the Japanese team had won by one goal. The crowd around her erupted in joy, jumping and hugging each other. _What's the use of celebrating while hugging? You didn't win. There's no sentimental effort or reward for you… _Rima bitterly thought.

Deciding it was time, Rima stood up and pushed through the chaotic crowd, making her way towards the low wall in the middle. As she walked down the steps, she observed the Japanese team carrying Kukai up in the air as a team.

"Kukai! Kukai! Kukai!" They cheered, and the crowd started to follow. After a few seconds, almost everyone was cheering his name. All Rima did was keep walking. There was a gap in the wall, so she used the distraction to slip through and she casually entered the locker room without anyone watching.

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><p><strong>SOUMA KUKAI<strong>

_HONK!_

The sound of the ending horn echoed through the whole stadium, to Kukai's relief. His last second goal saved the whole team from being eliminated.

"WOOOOO!" Yamada rejoiced from behind him, and he felt himself be carried in the air by multiple hands.

"Hey- guys! Put me down!" He jokingly yelled to no avail. Instead they directly carried him to the locker rooms. As they arrived there, they finally put him down.

"Yes! We did it! We're in the semi-finals!" Another player declared with glee, and everyone fist pumped as they cheered. Suddenly, they heard a throat clearing from nearby. The whole team turned to see a blonde girl with dark, wide rimmed sunglasses. Kukai felt like his breath was knocked out of his chest. _That girl…_

"Hey, you aren't allowed in here. No matter how cute you are." One of Kukai's teammates smirked at her, and she scoffed.

"I bet Souma Kukai will say I'm allowed. Right?" She passively stated, staring straight at Kukai. He felt everyone's eyes on him.

"Uhh… yeah. I know her. Can you guys go to the locker rooms?" The whole team agreed immediately and they all made their way down the hall, leaving him with her.

"Finally, I can breathe. Jeez…" She snorted, and Kukai simply stared at her with shock.

"… Utau?" The blonde smirked at her ex-boyfriend.

"Long time no see, Kukai."

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><p><strong>MASHIRO RIMA<strong>

_Dang it… did I go the wrong way?_

"Hey, kid! What do you think you're doing here?" She heard a booming voice from behind her echo around the hallways.

_Uh oh..._

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><p><strong>SOUMA KUKAI<strong>

He stared at his girlfriend from middle school, who smirked at him like she did in the past.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned, astonished. In response, she cocked an eyebrow.

"Hey. I come all the way here to see you, and that's what you ask me? Man, have you changed…" In truth, Kukai hadn't really changed much.

He was too surprised, obviously.

"Oh… um… sorry 'bout that Utau. But really, what _are_ you doing here?" Utau sighed, and she looked at him with sad eyes that were starting to tear up.

"Kukai… I need you to help me find Ikuto." His heart felt like it was going to shatter. Unanswered questions filled his head.

_Does she still love Ikuto? Why did she find me of all people? Wait… that's not important right now… where __**is **__Ikuto?_ Watching Utau plead and drop to her knees was going to make the death of him, so he gulped.

"Okay. I will."

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><p><strong>HINAMORI AMU<strong>

"...so, we'd like you to be in our advertisement for this yoghurt. Will you accept?" The spectacled woman asked her with a forced politeness. Amu simply nodded once in response. Amu couldn't get the thought about reuniting the gang out of her head. Sure, she was excited, but the what ifs from the time she was about to see Rima had resurfaced. She was wondering if Rima's encounter with Kukai had gone well, or if there even was an encounter.

The crabby woman dismissed her from her office, and the actress started to make her way out of the building.

"_Amu, Amu, Amu. I bet you didn't even pay attention today. You don't even know the company's name, do you?_" Hana lightly scolded over the phone as Amu kept her eyes forward.

"Fine. Then what is it?" Amu retorted, annoyed.

"_Eh? I'm not telling you… you didn't listen._"

"Meh. Whatever." She entered the elevator in silence, and kept quiet for a minute, until Hana snapped.

"_AHHH! I can't tease you at all! That's so mean!_" She whined, and Amu waited until the doors of the elevator opened.

"_I'll tell you, I can't help it. It's called-_" The doors began to open, and Amu's eyes widened at the sight of someone _too_ familiar to her.

"_-Sanjo-Hotori Corporation Limited._" Amu dropped her phone, and she heard it crack, ending the battery life of her communication device.

Amu didn't move for what seemed to be hours as she gawked at the adult version of her first love.

"Amu-chan?" Tadase whispered in disbelief as the doors of the elevator closed between them - neither making a move to stop it.

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><p>AN: Thanks for reading this chapter! Please Rate & Review~


	4. Chapter 3

Haha! I bet you didn't expect this story to update! Muhaha. I don't know... I just felt like updating this one in particular. So I whipped up a fresh, new chapter for my lovely readers.

I do not own Shugo Chara.

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><p><strong>HINAMORI AMU<strong>

_Tadase-kun?_

She started to slowly back away towards the beige wall of the elevator, and slid down in a crouch.

_My first love… he owns this company?_

Her broken phone caught her eye. _Great, now I need to get another one… _She remembered what Hana told her on the phone.

"_-Sanjo-Hotori Corporation Limited." _Amu clasped her mouth with her hand in shock. _Kairi is here too?_

_Ding!_

Well, it was her day to say _speak of the devil_.

A much matured version of Kairi was staring was her with the same expression as Tadase, but when the doors started to close his hand immediately snapped forward to stop it.

"Long time no see, Joker." He smiled one of his rare smiles, which assured Amu that it was going to be fine.

Realizing her position on the floor, she heaved herself up, with her broken phone in her hand. She started to exit, but Kairi's much broader hand stopped her.

"Hey… do you have time for some tea?" _It's going to be fine, Amu, it's going to be fine._

"Okay." She choked, and re-entered the elevator with Kairi.

Most of the ride was filled with an awkward silence. Amu fiddled with the two pieces of her phone, and Kairi was polishing his glasses. Amu tried to sneak a peek at the former Jack.

He had grown _much_ taller than her now, and his nose was quite angular. He was wearing a suit, like Tadase, and he seemed highly professional. _Oh well, what did I expect?_

"So… you're the CEO of this company?" She asked him nervously, affected by the thick atmosphere.

"Yes, with Hotori."

"Yeah, I saw him earlier." Kairi cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about it.

"Um… Class Prez?" Kairi looked at her with dead-pan eyes.

"We're not in school anymore, you don't have to call me that."

"Oh, sorry… Kairi… have you seen anyone else lately?"

"You mean the Guardians?" Amu nodded, knowing he wasn't entirely right.

"No. Actually, I asked for you in particular to come. I'll tell you about it in my office." Right on cue, the elevator dinged and the doors opened at the top level of the building. Amu followed Kairi until he reached a lavish office with a plate with the words:

**SANJO KAIRI - CEO**

"Take a seat." Amu couldn't help but sense a hint of coldness in his tone of voice. She obediently sat, not wanting to stir any negative feelings from her former admirer.

"You know that Hotori and I are co-founders of this company, right?" She nodded slowly, trying to comprehend what he was getting at. He creased his eyebrows slightly, and tiredly looked down at his hands.

"Well… before I say what I need to say… I'm happy to see you, Joker." He looked up at her and smiled kindly, warming her heart. She had always liked it when her usually business-oriented friend relaxed a little. Amu grinned back.

"I'm quite happy, too. Anyway, you yourself said that we're not in school anymore, so you can just call me by my name." Kairi looked slightly astonished by her offer.

"Okay then… H-Hinamori… then I'll get to what I have to say." To Amu's slight disappointment, he had returned to his professional manner. "Hotori hasn't been doing well lately. He has recently been reminiscing in the past, and he's feeling gloomy. So… if you don't mind… can you spend some time with him for a while?" Amu hesitated.

"I'd love to… but you know I'm packed…" Kairi smirked.

"Because of the collaboration yoghurt advertisement? It _is_ by our company, right?" Amu mentally slapped herself. _That's right…_

"Okay."

"Sanjo-san? Amu-chan?" A familiar voice huffed from behind her. She whipped around to see her first love, Hotori Tadase, huffing for air. His face was slightly flushed, and he was loosening his tie.

"T-T-Tadase-kun…" Amu stood up slowly, and at a snail's pace walked towards the former King. After registering the sight of his former love before him, he smiled the smile that was too familiar to her.

"It's good to see you, Amu-chan." Amu couldn't bear it anymore. Even though she no longer had feelings for him, she still missed him very dearly. She stepped forward and tightly embraced him around his neck.

"I missed you so much!" She whimpered, and she felt hot tears escape her eyes.

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><p><strong>MASHIRO RIMA<strong>

_Life really does suck right now… _Rima reluctantly walked away from the exit of the locker rooms, sneaking a glare at the big bodyguard that escorted her out. She didn't even get a chance to see Kukai yet. _Great, Amu's gonna be pissed at me now…_

She pulled out her phone and called her number. _Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The number you are calling is currently unavailable._

"What the…" Rima dialled her number again.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The number you are calling is currently unavailable._

In a panic, she called Amu one last time.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. The number you are calling is currently unavailable._

Rima's heart sank. _What happened to her?_

She leaned on the brick wall close by tiredly, and she put her head in her hands.

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><p><strong>SOUMA KUKAI<strong>

Kukai lounged in the comfortable leather seat of Utau's car as she drove at the speed limit. He started to think to myself, _why in the world am I in my ex-girlfriend's car when I could just relax at home?_

_Oh yeah, it's Ikuto._

He couldn't help but feel envious, even though Ikuto was Utau's brother, and she didn't seem to have that intense brother complex that she used to have years ago before she became his girlfriend. He sneaked a glance at her, and noticed that Utau's speed was increasing.

"What's the hurry?" Kukai asked the concentrated blonde.

"Don't ask. Just wait." Her urgent tone silenced Kukai, and he begrudgingly waited in the smooth black seat until they reached their 'destination'. After ten minutes, she parked in front of a place that Kukai knew too well - the ramen store. He was starting to get hungry, but he was confused to why she parked here. He turned to Utau, who was halfway out of the car.

"Why are we here?" Utau slipped on her purple shades and closed the door.

"Just come in, Kukai. We'll talk inside." Kukai pulled his grey beanie on and exited the car. When he entered the store, the familiar smell of oil and onion welcomed his nose, and a wave of nostalgia hit him.

He sighted her long, blonde pigtails already at the counter, and he strode forward to take a seat next to her.

"Another challenge, Kukai?" His ex smirked at him through her thin purple shades, and he felt the fire burn in his heart at the sound of the word.

"Game on!"

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><p>Kukai groaned as he leaned his tired chin on the bench, and Utau rejoiced as she flicked his forehead playfully.<p>

"Ha! I win!" She fist pumped as I stared at my unfinished ramen bowl in regret. _I should have eaten faster. Hmph._

"Hey," He started, wanting to distract her. "What did you need to talk about here?" Utau side glanced, and smiled a full-toothed grin.

"Do I need a reason? I just wanted to have a challenge with you again." I felt the heat rise to my cheeks, and I realised something important.

_I'm still in love with her._

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><p>So, how do ya like that? ^^<p>

I don't know if I should continue this story, or give it to someone else, but I know of those few readers who really want me to keep going with Potential. By the way, I think 'Unit 42', my other Shugo Chara fic, may come to an end soon, I'm almost at a dead end, I have to end it within maybe 4 or 5 chapters, so I have time to write this one along with 'Black Met White', my Gakuen Alice fic. If you think I should continue 'Potential', please review! Honesty would be sweet too. ^^


	5. Chapter 4

_HINAMORI AMU_

Amu knew for sure that agreeing to Kairi's offer was going to add an extra load on Amu's back - she was busy enough as it was as an actress. But Tadase was her good friend - and her first love - and she wanted to help him recover from his slump. She had organised a friendly outing with him on Sunday, when they both had free time slots. For a while, she mentally debated whether the outing would be considered a 'date', but she dropped the idea as soon as Hana rushed into her bedroom.

"Amu, Amu, Amu!" _What, what, what? _Amu sarcastically thought to herself as she heard her manager's use of repetition.

"What is it?" Something in Hana's hand caught her eye - an invitation.

"The Awards are starting in two hours! And you're not ready yet?" Amu's eyes widened at her realization.

"It's today?" Amu put her hand on her forehead. _Was I too pre-occupied that I forgot?_ _Agh! _Her manager grabbed her thin wrist and pulled her into the walk-in-closet.

"We don't have time for a special order, so we need to get something you haven't worn in public before." The two frantic females flipped through Amu's long dress rack for a while.

"What about this?" Hana asked her, holding out an long sleeved apple green dress with ruffles at the bottom. Amu shook her head briskly.

"No, I don't know _why _I have that. I don't like green."

"This one?"

"Wore it last year, remember?"

"How about this? It's gorgeous!"

"No way! There's a rip at the bottom." After filtering out her closet, the women collapsed on the charcoal black carpet in exhaustion.

"There's nothing! What are we going to do?" Amu sighed. "I shouldn't have gotten off-track…"

Suddenly, the doorbell buzzed, perking up Amu's attention.

"Coming!" She pushed herself off the floor and swung the door open. To her confusion, no-one was standing in front of her.

Instead, there was a box addressed to her. Curious, she picked up the box and brought it to the walk-in-closet, where Hana was still panting.

"Huh… what is that…?" She asked, pointing at the mysterious package. Amu shrugged, and carelessly tore the top of it open. Both women gasped at what they saw. With gentle fingers, Amu picked up the shimmering red dress out of the box, and she fingered the pleated black lace that trailed the edges.

"It's… perfect!" Amu hastily picked up the card that came with it, and flipped it open to read a familiar style of handwriting.

_Hinamori Amu,_

_I know you've been busy this week, and I'm guessing you forgot about the award ceremony you were supposed to attend tonight. So I bought you this dress - I know how you love pleated straps and goth-lolita, so I had this designed especially for you. Cocking your eyebrow won't do you any good, because you have an hour left until it starts._

_I'll see you soon, T.I._

Amu stared at the card in disbelief. She had a gut certain feeling about who wrote the card, and she swallowed nervously. _He's in Japan?_

"Wow! This is a great dress! It matches you perfectly, but who gave it to you?" Amu snapped out of her reverie, and she quickly stood up, dress and card in her hands.

"That doesn't matter right now, I need to get ready."

* * *

><p><em>MASHIRO RIMA<em>

Rima walked down the rouge carpet in her raven-black dress that reached my knees. She was angry that her 'bastard manager' told her that coming to this award night would somehow 'boost' her popularity.

_Tsk. Like I care about something as iffy at that._

"Look! It's Mashiro Rima!" An excited male reporter sped over to her.

"Hello! How are you feeling with this exciting atmosphere?" Rima fake-smiled at the love-struck reporter.

"It is pretty exciting, bit I think I can handle it well. It does thrill me to the core." _Lies._

"That's wonderful, now I've heard your stand-up comedies have been an all-round success in the past year. What was your reaction?"

"I'm really happy that more people are enjoying comedy since I entered the business. They should know that it isn't just some silly fad."

"Well, I certainly believe-" He was interrupted with the loud screams of fan girls behind him. Rima took this opportunity to walk away, but the reporter's words made her stop.

"It's Fujisaki Nagihiko!" _What? _She spun on her thin heel to see her former rival approaching. His hair remained long and purple, and he was stylishly wearing a black and white checkered scarf and a white fedora with his grey suit. His golden eyes remained the same as she remembered - hypnotising and beautiful. Nagihiko turned and she was the one who caught his eye. He quickly walked towards her, not letting her get away.

"Hello, Rima-chan." Rima scowled at his casual greeting, and the same reporter perked up.

"Oh? You two are familiar with each other?" Nagihiko smirked, and grabbed her hand.

"Yes. She's my date." The crowd and the reporter's jaws dropped low as he pulled an unresponsive Rima towards the entrance.

* * *

><p><em>HINAMORI AMU<em>

_Phew, I made it._

Amu stepped out of her limo and she couldn't help but smile at the fans who started to cheer at her appearance to the show last minute. She nervously adjusted the loose belt styled like the bracelet Kairi had given her in elementary school, and she made her way down the red carpet with ease. Many reporters took immediate chances to interview the young actress, and she gladly answered their questions briefly before speeding off to the next one. To her awe, many of them had complimented her hairstyle - a loose yet elegant bun with a few stray strands. None of them knew that she had put her hair up roughly because of her lack of time.

After what seemed like a century to Amu, she finally reached the big hall where the national event was to be held. She went up to one of the seat organizers.

"Hello, I'm Hinamori Amu." The girl looked up, and her eyes widened at the sight of the famous actress.

"O-Oh… up… you're at table seven." Amu thanked the nervous girl and started to make her way towards the table, which seemed to be close to the front. She looked around in awe at the large number of famous faces attending.

"Hinamori Amu? Is that you?" She turned around towards the voice to see her childhood friend Yua in a pale pink dress.

"It is you! Hello!" She squealed, and hugged Amu around the waist.

"Hi, Yua. Long time no see! How's your career going?" Yua pulled away with a wide grin on her face.

"It's wonderful! I released my first album this year!" Amu smiled for her friend.

"Congratulations! Now I need to get to my seat, so…" Amu trailed, finally locating a bold black '7' near the front of the stage.

"Oh okay. Good luck!" Amu waved goodbye, and made her way to the table. She seemed to be the last person to arrive at that certain table, because of an empty seat next to a tall black-haired man and someone else she didn't bother to pay attention to. She immediately sat down and she silently greeted the other celebrities at the table. She picked up the glass of water as she turned to the stranger on her right.

Amu almost choked on her water.

"Looks like you wore my present." _Those eyes… that voice… _Amu quickly brought the glass away from her lips and coughed lightly.

"Thanks." She nervously looked into his deep, indigo eyes. "It's been more than eight years." She choked out, and he didn't make a move to comfort her.

"I wasn't the one who lost the contact, Amu."

"Yeah. I don't want to talk about this now."

"Steering away from the main topic, and failing. You're still the Hinamori Amu I loved." He taunted with a smirk. She sensed his use of past tense, and she felt as if her heart was slowly ripping apart.

"You're still the Tsukiyomi Ikuto I loved, as well." Unlike him, Amu couldn't bring herself to smile at all.

* * *

><p>AN: Oh my god. I updated. Bravo to me. :DDD

I love all of my readers for convincing me to finish this story. I'm very happy you guys like it, so I brought Ikuto in earlier than I expected! Kudos.

So I'm shifting the story I have put on hiatus to _Unit 42_. I personally think this story is better than that one, so yeah.

Please Rate & Review this chapter!


	6. Chapter 5

_"I wasn't the one who lost the contact, Amu."_

_"Yeah. I don't want to talk about this now."_

_"Steering away from the main topic, and failing. You're still the Hinamori Amu I loved." He taunted with a smirk. She sensed his use of past tense, and she felt as if her heart was slowly ripping apart._

_"You're still the Tsukiyomi Ikuto I loved, as well."_

* * *

><p><em>HINAMORI AMU<em>

Amu quickly diverted her eyes from his deep stare, but she could still feel his gaze burning into her.

"You loved me?" _Oh no._ She didn't reply, knowing that there would be no use if she denied what she had said immediately.

"Well, it's the past. No need to worry about it anymore." Amu held back a sigh of relief. She was pretty sure she was over Ikuto, and she was still interested in Tadase.

"So… why are you in Japan?" She asked him, attempting to start a simple conversation. She felt him look away.

"The awards night, obviously. I _am_ a performer." Amu hesitantly turned to look at him, and she couldn't help but be impressed with his now mature appearance. His boyish bangs had been swept to one side, resembling his appearance years ago when he drew out X-Eggs with his violin.

Simply put, Amu thought he looked quite dashing.

"Huh. Right." She looked away quickly as the awards night began.

* * *

><p>The night wasn't as pleasant as Amu hoped. Even though she had tried to graciously accept the <em>Best Leading Actress<em> award with an occupied mind, she couldn't stand the awkward proximity between her and Ikuto. She had used all her willpower to not reach over and grip his hair _hard_ because of the long time that he had left her for. To not ask him the questions running through her head - _why did you listen to me eight years ago? The stupid, eighteen year old who thought she knew what was best for her? Why?_

When she believed the show was never going to end, the host announced the show over.

"Amu." She heard him murmur as she reached for her purse. "Promise me… that you won't tell anyone that I'm in Japan." As soon as people started to get up from their seats, Amu clumsily grabbed her purse and rushed out of the venue, desperate to escape the intense atmosphere at table seven. _Why doesn't Ikuto want others to know about his sudden appearance? Does Utau know?_

Before anyone could stop her for an interview, Amu sped out of the venue. All she wanted to do was go home and rest her mind - it seemed that the tacky term 'mind blown' was the only way to describe how she felt.

As she entered her awaiting limo and it drove away from the flashy venue, she exhaled deeply from the turn of events.

"Miss Hinamori, where would you like to go?" The chauffeur asked her politely as she loosened her bun - feeling an overwhelming relaxation as the tightly bound hair strands were released from the grip of the multiple hair pins.

"Home. Go straight there, please."

For the majority of the trip back home, Amu felt blank-headed. She no longer had the energy to think about what happened - not only during the awards night, but this month in total ever since she was reunited with Rima. Gathering up the energy to muse a little, she started to create a list of who she had seen so suddenly. _Rima was first...then Tadase-kun and Kairi… then it was Ikuto… so we still haven't been able to get in contact with Kukai, yet we're encountering so many others we weren't expecting to see… _"Ugh… I can't take this anymore…" She groaned, massaging her temple. Adding to her headache, her phone suddenly rang. There was no need for her to check who was calling straight after the awards night - she knew for a fact it was her screwball manager.

"What is it, Hana?" She monotonously asked after answering the call.

"_Ugh, a little birdy told me that you've already left. It just ended, why aren't you enjoying the after party?_"

"Screw the after party, it's not compulsory. Besides, I just want to go home and rest."

"_But Amu, it might raise questions! You still need to promote your latest movie __**and **__the one you'll be filming in New Zealand next week._"

"Raise questions? Loads of celebrities leave the after parties early - besides, I'm not the biggest star in Japan, so relax. And I'm sure everyone else involved in my movies are willing to promote."

"_You're the main character in both, seriously! This is getting rather suspicious, Amu. Why are you in such a rush tonight?_"

"Fine, I want to start packing for New Zealand early. You know how I am when it comes to these sort of things." Amu smoothly lied, putting her supreme acting skills to use. Though it was true that she did need to pack, she usually started five days before, not a week.

"_Ah, geez… again? You should just enjoy the free time you have… __**not **__packing for your overseas project. I can do it for you, of course. I'm your manager._"

"No, I don't want to find another box of condoms and ten cups of instant ramen in my suitcase ever again, thank you very much."

"_...Fine. But it's your free day tomorrow, so don't suffocate yourself okay? It's good to have fun, but remember not to get into trouble while you're at it._"

"Okay. See you later." Amu quickly snapped the phone shut and tossed it to the far seat in the limo.

_Ugh… I need to keep my mind at ease for a while… wait- _Amu quickly reached for her phone and dialled the recently added number on her phone.

* * *

><p><em>MASHIRO RIMA<em>

_Where is she when I actually __**need **__her? Ack! _Rima silently complained as her eyes thoroughly scanned the room for her best friend, who seemed like she was absent from the after party for some odd reason.

"Looking for someone?" Like usual, I felt my blood boil at every snippet of his voice. Nagihiko offered her a thin glass of champagne, which she immediately swiped from him.

"Why would you think that? Moron…" In her peripherals, she noticed that he cocked his eyebrow at her response.

"Did my eyes really deceive me when I saw you pretty much trying to burn the image of the party in your mind?" He asked sarcastically, clearly enjoying their conversation - even at its' very beginning. Rima huffed lightly and took a light sip of bubbly.

"Your attitude hasn't changed a day, I see."

"I could say the same thing for yourself." Silence enveloped the two and slowly it started to grow into a tense atmosphere. Rima started to tightly grip the stem of her glass, to the point where it broke off. Noticing this, she attempted to ignore her mistake by casually taking another sip while keeping a grip on the glass.

"...I missed you, Rima-chan." He coolly spoke, slightly catching her off guard - mainly due to the fact that she was attempting to maintain the uncomfortable position of her fingers around the broken glass. She couldn't show him how nervous she was. She still harboured resentment towards the smooth talking Nagihiko after many years of separation, and she didn't want to lose to him ever again. But that fact that he _missed her _was something else entirely. They instead stirred the feelings she used to - regrettably - feel for him eight years ago. However, she knew the absence was bound to have abolished those feelings permanently.

"Don't act cool like that. Those words don't match your face." She retorted, trying to prevent letting her nervousness seep through. Nagihiko's face suddenly morphed from a smirking one to a more serious expression.

"I wasn't acting cool. I was as serious as I could have been." Rima couldn't help but gulp at his tone of voice. Rima was mixed upon those words - she felt annoyed. Scared. Angry. Surprised. Even - she painstakingly admitted - _happy_. Rima turned away from him, putting the broken glass down as she hid her face from him. Blushing was something she believed was definitely out of character for her - thus, her rival would never see such a thing.

"Is that so? Well it must be great for you that you've seen me here." She turned in an attempt to walk away, but a warm hand suddenly held on to her arm. She felt chills radiate through her body at the touch.

"Rima-chan…" He hesitated for a moment, then continued. "Can I see you again?" She looked at his face, and never before had she seen that sort of expression on his face. He was calm - as usual - but there was a hint of longing in his eyes she couldn't resist.

"F-Fine. When?"

"I'll meet you at the café near the airport, perhaps Monday at eleven in the morning?"

Rima concentrated on ignoring his intense gaze, only to not notice that he had already left the party.

* * *

><p><em>SOUMA KUKAI<em>

With the awards night footage playing on the LCD television, Kukai continuously bounced the tennis ball off the wall - each time slimly evading the photo frames nearby. The only times Kukai's mind diverted to the television was when they announced the nominees for each award - wondering if anyone he knew was in the running. In the event where there was no-one of his knowledge, he would turn back to the black wall.

In truth, he did that every time.

As soon as the first interval started at low volume, his phone suddenly shrilled from next to him, causing him to flinch as he threw the ball - hitting one of the photo frames and shattering the glass.

"Aw, crap…" He clumsily grabbed his phone from beside him and answered the call as he stood up to inspect the damage. "Yeah?"

"_Kukai, you find anything on the footage? You sound a little absent minded._"

"I just broke a photo frame. And no, there was nothing much that I saw." A long pause from the other side of the call gave him time to see which frame had been broken. He groaned with displeasure, as it was the one which he valued the most.

It was a wide photo of the gang from eight years ago - all besides Ikuto and Utau were high school students then. Kukai stared silently at himself years ago with his arm around Utau's waist as she smiled with a slight flush on her cheeks. _Oh, how I miss those days…_ He thought as he looked at the faces of his many friends - Nagihiko, Tadase, Kairi, Amu, Yaya, Rima and Ikuto - and wondered how they were doing.

Or rather, _what _they were doing.

When Kukai had previously asked why he was to watch the footage for the awards night, Utau had hit him on the head and called him an imbecile. She explained to him that all she knew was that Ikuto was a famous violinist - unbeknownst to Kukai, who didn't pay much attention to the trends of the celebrity world - and if he was in Japan, it was likely that he would attend. He had also asked if there was a possibility that any of the others could be present, she shrugged and simply said, "Possibly."

"_-kai! Kukai, what the heck are you doing? Listen to me, you blockhead!_" He jolted out of his reverie at Utau's sharp tone over the phone.

"Huh, what is it? You don't need to yell."

"_Tch. You didn't answer me for five minutes, I was about to hang up because I thought you were going berserk somewhere! I'm surprised that I'm still on the line. Anyway, the interval's about to end, and I think the next award is for the Best Leading Actress. I don't know, but I'm feeling rather weird about it. I feel that something's going to happen soon…_" Grabbing the dustpan from the kitchen, he listened to her words with confusion.

"You sure about this? 'Cause I might not trust your intuitions anymore if there's nothing there." He joked lightly, realising that the last time he had trusted her intuitions was eight years ago, when he always joked with her about it when they were in a relationship. However, he felt rather light hearted as he said it - it reminded him of the 'old days'.

It seemed that Utau hadn't minded either. "Ha. Funny. Real funny. Anyway, I don't care if you trust it or not, but watch it. The nominees are being announced right now, I have to leave _now_. See you." _Click._ Listening to Utau's request like a dog, he put down the dustpan and picked up the frame as he walked back to the couch to watch.

The first few were actresses of which he didn't know, and their movie previews played for the viewers as an example of their great performance. _Scary witch, ballerina, diplomat, mental health patient. _Kukai was impressed with the performances and he couldn't imagine the last one to be even better.

Until he saw the name **HINAMORI AMU** in bold across the screen.

He felt the breath being knocked out of him as he watched a bold woman with pink hair and a leather dress smile as she grabbed a fistful of a younger woman's hair. _Wait, wait, wait, you can't be serious… Hinamori's an actress? _As the movie footage ended and the five camera shots with the anticipating actresses were displayed on the screen, his slim doubt was immediately abolished - in the bottom right corner, Amu's face was displayed. Unlike the anticipating actresses, she looked slightly pale, as if she wasn't concerned about her winning or not.

"_...is… Hinamori Amu from 'Black Stigma'!_" Kukai thought that nothing could increase the shock he felt when he found out where Amu was.

He was proven wrong a second time, when the camera zoomed in on her now delighted face, and he saw Tsukiyomi Ikuto beside her.

_Man… this is too much…_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Hey my readers, sorry for the wait! As compensation, I wrote a longer chapter for you guys. Look, I just finished my exams, so now I have the holidays to write more chapters! Yay! So I'm predicting that this story won't be as long as I intend my other stories to be, and I'm guessing that this one will last at the max ten chapters. So yeah, pleeeeease review~ I'd really appreciate it, and I hope the people who read this story months ago are still with me - if not, well it was precedented :'(_**

**_Rate and Review, guys! I love you..._**


	7. Chapter 6

_HINAMORI AMU_

I never knew that this day would ever come again. It was merely a fleeting memory from my elementary years - the sweet memories of a childhood crush mixed with ice cream and, eventually, annoying teenage cat boys.

Yet here I was, going out on a date with my old crush, Hotori Tadase.

In the small but aesthetically pleasing café away from the busy Tokyo metro, I looked around nervously. Thanks to my disguise - a plain brown wig hiding my signature pink hair, and a thin grey hoodie which roughly hid my face - no one seemed to be suspicious of me. Exhaling from the pressure, I sipped the hot chocolate. I eventually closed my eyes and enjoyed the heavenly taste which no other café in Tokyo could offer. From the other side of the table, Tadase-kun looked both pleased and confused.

"I can't help but wonder why you're pressuring yourself in going out on this date when your initial plan was to calm down and forget for a little while, Amu-chan." He whispered so that none of the surrounding customers would hear - luckily they were at least two metres away. I nervously stroked the fringe of my wig, wondering how to answer him. _Get it together, Amu! This isn't the time to be dazed, you're on a date with Tadase-kun! _

"Well… I just wanted to talk to someone, and Rima's busy today. And it's not like I can talk to the others… you were the only one I could contact." He nodded once in acknowledgement, then he smiled the princely smile which mirrored exactly the one from eight years ago in high school. I couldn't help but return it with warmth.

"Okay then, so what did you want to talk about?" He asked, now speaking at a normal conversational volume.

I started to tell him everything about the plan to have a reunion between the former Guardians which Rima and I had started - from Rima tracking down Kukai to the sudden appearances of everyone from my past. I hesitated at one point, when I was about to reach the part of the story when I saw Ikuto at the awards night. After a short pause, I disregarded that fact, thus I ended up not telling Tadase-kun about him.

"Ah, I think that's great, to bring us all back together. I'm more than willing to help you."

_"Hotori hasn't been doing well lately. He has recently been reminiscing in the past, and he's feeling gloomy. So… if you don't mind… can you spend some time with him for a while?"_

I remembered Kairi's words from a week ago - _perhaps a way to help Tadase-kun cheer up is to abolish the problem all together…_

"Thank you, Tadase-kun." He looked genuinely happy, and I hoped that he was starting to feel better in comparison to how Kairi had been seeing him recently.

"I'm… really happy that I could see you again, Amu-chan. You see… I haven't been feeling that good recently. I really do miss those days from high school." I reassured him by gently patting his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"I'm happy to see you, as well. Hopefully this plan will work." We exchanged smiles once again, then I decided to ask him a few questions as both a necessity and a distraction from… yesterday.

_"Promise me… that you won't tell anyone that I'm in Japan."_

It was hard to push the memories of last night out of my head. His husky voice was something that I literally wanted to spray something at in order for it to get out of my head at that moment.

"S-So," I internally slapped myself for stuttering. "Have you seen anyone else recently? Besides Kairi and myself of course." His expression changed to one which seemed deep in thought.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure if this counts… but when I was on a business trip in Paris, I happened to see Lulu-san. You may remember her from our war in Easter in elementary school." I was stunned by his revelation that not only had he seen one of our former enemies during the Easter War, but the chances of finding one person in such a populated country like France were without a doubt much lower than finding at least one of seven people in Tokyo. I pursed my lips, trying to comprehend.

"Oh, that was pretty unexpected. She wasn't in my mind, really. How is she?"

"She looks happy, since both her parents are doing well. Though, I may add, she's becoming more independent regarding her own wants, and it seems she has started a business of her own." I never expected this 'date' to involve us talking about Lulu of all people, but I caught on to something that added to my surprise. Tadase-kun's face flushed slightly as he talked about her, and I could tell that though he had grown up considerably, he was still quite timid when it came to touchy subjects such as women. _Wait… is he blushing because of __**Lulu**__?_ Truth be told, I didn't feel an ounce of jealousy in my heart.

* * *

><p>I kept my head down, my sunglass covered eyes watching the ground as I powerwalked - almost ran - towards the terminal. It wasn't that I was late for the plane, it was just that the fans and the media had somehow discovered the fact that I was leaving Japan for my new movie.<p>

"Man… it's crazy here! Let's hurry." Hana muttered through her teeth, lightly pushing me forward in order to walk quicker.

"Seriously, how did they find out…" My voice trailed, when amidst the chaos mixed with story-hungry interviewers and crazy fans, I saw something I never would've expected.

Rima was in the nearby café, undisguised. I internally apprehended her for her carelessness - though I was being highly hypocritical as I was being chased due to everyone recognising me - but I almost tripped over my own boot when I saw who she was with.

_Fujisaki Nagihiko?_

"Amu, what are you doing?! We have to hurry!" Thus, I had dashed past them without another word, or clarification of what was going on.

At long last, I reached the peace and quiet of the terminal gate - where I could finally gather my thoughts as I plopped into one of the hard seats. _There's no doubt about it. No male other than Nagi has long violet hair. I could recognise him from a mile away… but the important thing is why Rima was with him… alone… in a café? Like a date? And why didn't she tell me that she was in contact with him?_

"Er… Amu?" Hana interrupted my thoughts as she flipped through a magazine with interested eyes. "Was that woman in the café Mashiro Rima? Your friend, the comedian?"

"Yeah…" I drawled out, nodding slowly. "Why?" Crinkling her eyebrows together, she handed me the magazine she was reading previously, her actions meaning to show me the front cover.

"There's a feature article about her and Fujisaki Nagihiko. Was he the one with her? I couldn't really tell if the person was male or female." As she had said, on the laminated cover of the magazine bordered with exclusive offers written in bubbly pink font was a clear photograph of Rima and Nagihiko at the awards after-party, evidently keeping their distance from the other guests. The main picture was of Nagi smiling with a hint of coy at Rima's flushed face- wait, _is Rima blushing?!_ Already stunned by the photograph in itself, my eyes trailed towards the headline beneath it.

**Caught! During the after party of the biggest Awards night of the year, sharp-tongued Mashiro Rima and traditional dancer Fujisaki Nagihiko were seen at a distance from the other guests together, both acting strangely in comparison to their usual cool personalities. Is it possible that they may be more than acquainted with each other?**

"What in the-" Suddenly, two hooded figures sat in both seats beside me. _Huh? Where's Hana? _Slightly creeped out by the two strangers in hoods and glasses, I glanced the area in search of my screwball manager, which - to my disbelief - was at the nearby pretzel store purchasing countless bags of the salted food.

_Okay… these people, what are they doing? I want to leave, now. _I hastily tried to stand up with a grip on my suitcase - however, a thin but strong hand grabbed my shoulder pulled me back into my seat. I hissed in pain as the small of my back made hard contact with the protruding top of the seat.

"Oww… who do you think you are, pulling me down like that? That's really rude!" The person who had restrained me kept their head straight without a movement, change of expression or even a flinch at the tone I attempted to use with them. Instead, the grip on my shoulder tightened - luckily, my leather jacket defended my skin from being penetrated by the stranger's sharp nails.

"Quiet, Hinamori Amu. You're loud." The assumed _she _muttered, and as I tried to analyse the features which were not concealed by her immense use of clothing and accessories, I felt that this person was somewhat familiar. I swallowed slowly, but knowing that I should be scared in a situation like this, I tried to convince myself that I would dash at the perfect moment. However, I didn't feel any fear regarding these strangers. I scolded myself from thinking that something about these two were _friendly_.

I wasn't scared, but that didn't mean I didn't feel tense. "W-Who are you, anyway? I can just yell out loud for security. Don't think that I won't."

The supposed male on the other side, groaned in distaste. "Don't worry, I bet you were thinking that we were thugs right now." _Ah, what is this?! I know this voice! Could it be..._

But I couldn't risk thinking past suspicion. "Well of course, since you pulled me back into my seat and told me to shut up. What else am I supposed to think?"

"What an idiot." The female scoffed as she let go of my shoulder. I didn't feel like leaving my seat, though.

"What did you say?"

"You've also grown deaf? Seriously, I can't believe he still follows you after all these years."

"All these years… what do you mean? And who's following me?" Everything coming out of the woman's mouth was making me feel more and more nostalgic.

"No one from the media know that we're taking this flight, so we're in disguise!" The male decided to divert the conversation to the reason why they were suspiciously sitting next to me among the many seats in the terminal looking like robbers.

"So… you're not criminals?" I murmured so the surrounding people wouldn't hear, thus preventing possible chaos.

"I believe that we made that clear before." The female spoke with a hint of annoyance. _Seriously, this is bugging me. Who are these people? And if she's annoyed, why is she even dealing with me? But they said that they were in disguise… does that mean that they're well known? _I tried to distract myself from this nonsense by focusing my attention on the television, which was showing a soccer game between Japan and South Korea. _Hmm… I wasn't aware there's a new international competition on._

"Mum, I don't want to watch this! Change the channel!" I heard a young girl whine as she stomped her feet on the carpeted ground. Her loud insisting had ruined the peace and quiet for the rest of the people in the terminal, so in panic her distressed mother reached for the remote and immediately changed the channel to a concert barely starting.

"_All passengers boarding NZ334 to Auckland please proceed to board._"

"Amu! Let's go!" I heard my manager urge as she arrived with the pretzel bags and led me forward, leaving the two people behind. _They said they were boarding right, so no matter. I thought it was __**those two**__, but it couldn't be right? No way…_

"Eh?" I glanced at the seat number on Hana's boarding pass. "You're not sitting next to me?"

"Sorry, Amu. Something came up. We're in the same row, anyway, so it's all good." I started to wonder about the occupants of the two seats beside me, but that thought had dissipated immediately as I saw the two strangers from before enter the plane, in order to be seated next to me. Soon after, they swiftly pulled their hoods down, revealing their respective hair colours which I had known throughout my childhood.

I could only murmur a pathetic response. "You're kidding…"

_First the headline about Nagihiko and Rima... now **this**? Can this really be a coincidence?!_

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><p><strong><em>AN: Oh wow. Last time I updated this was at the end of June... sorry guys! :( Can you guess who Amu saw? Actually, that's a stupid question... you probably know already without a second thought. If you don't... there's a clue in the chapter. ^^_**

**_Before I posted this chapter, I felt like I was losing passion for this story. I had no plans to stop writing it, however. But after a sit-down, piece of paper, a pen, and a LOT of free time at Work Experience, I can assure you the next chapter will be heavy on the romance, and will be the climax of the story if it even needs one._**

**_Hope you enjoyed this chapter, though :)_**

**_-Win_**


	8. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I haven't updated in a long time, and I apologise to those who still care for and read this story. I doubt there's many, though. I started this story a long time ago, and now when I look back, I'm disgusted with how I used to write. However, I won't revise this story until its final chapter. So please, support! :)**_

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><p><strong>HINAMORI AMU<strong>

She no longer had the energy to express her usual reaction when it came to surprises such as this one. It had been drained from her body as soon as the two 'strangers' removed their hoods, and all she could do at that moment was groan at their previous antics.

"You're kidding…" Amu repeated in a quiet murmur, barely retaining her shock.

"You just said that, Amu. Do you think this is a joke?" The older blonde scoffed at the rosette's reaction. "I was expecting you to squeal and lose hold of your soul like you usually do." _She evidently hasn't changed at all_. Amu remembered the television shows she had caught a glimpse of previously, and she immediately pushed herself against the back of her hard plane seat in suspicion.

"Wait…" Amu snapped my head towards Utau and pointed straight at her nose, in which the blonde swatted her hand away as if it was a fly. "Don't you have a concert right now?" Turning to Kukai, who was evidently confused from her reaction, Amu poked him in the shoulder. "And you! I thought you had a soccer game now!"

Utau snorted at her words. "Are you an idiot? That was a re-run! I never have concerts in the middle of the day, Amu, and you know that."

Kukai nodded once, opening the bag of peanuts which she hadn't seen being handed to him. "That tournament ended ages ago. This is my break."

_Jeez… these two…!_ The actress shook her head in order to get back to the topic at hand as she tried to regain the strength in her voice, to no avail.

"Utau, Kukai, what are you doing on my plane? Do you realise that I'm going to New Zealand for a movie?" She groaned at the duo on either side of her, and Kukai executed his signature pose - the wink and the thumbs-up - which made Amu reminisce in the past for a split second.

"Don't worry, Hinamori! We've decided to come with you!" _Eh?_ It took a while for the information to process through her mind and when it did, her previous lack of energy was nowhere to be found.

"_Ehhhh?! What?!_"

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><p>"Cut! That was good! Ten minute break!" The director called, and it was the signal for al of the make-up coordinators to swarm into the scene to locate and help touch up their designated actors. As Amu's arrived and immediately started powdering her face, she was unable to ignore the stare coming from a certain soccer star. He had previously asked her many irrelevant questions about acting - a particularly idiotic one she remembered was '<em>Wait, are the coordis in the movie too? I've never seen them…<em>', which she felt deserved a slap on the head - and she realised that the reason why he was paying so much attention was that Utau was lurking around the studio, leaving him behind.

Thus, he came to watch his junior in her profession.

When her coordi left, Amu made her way towards him, sitting in the seat beside him with a bottle of water.

"You were great, Hinamori! No wonder you're the new uprising star." He praised her as she wiped her mouth of the excess water and smiled thankfully.

"Thanks, Kukai." As soon as there was silence, Amu remembered an important question which had still left unanswered. "You didn't tell me why you're here yet. I don't think it's because you want to see me act live…"

Kukai was shocked at her statement, as well as the fact that she still hadn't known. "Eh? You don't know?"

Amu stared at him questioningly, as if it was obvious. "Of course not! You haven't told me yet! I just said that…"

"Um… Hinamori? Do you know who's providing for the soundtrack for this movie?"

"Not really, I haven't been able to check that yet. Did I need to?"

_Ah… she doesn't know he's here. Should I tell? Will Hoshina get pissed at me? _Kukai attempted to come up with a reason, but fortunately for him she had interrupted.

"Don't worry about it. It's probably none of my business, right?" Amu noticed that Kukai looked a little bit nervous, but she decided not to look into it. "So, how are things with Utau? Are you still dating?"

Immediately after her question, Kukai's expression turned from nervous to solemn - and Amu knew what the case was.

"We broke up." The auburn haired male sighed, evidently disappointing the actress.

She felt guilty for evidently bringing up a sensitive topic. "Oh… sorry, Kukai."

"It's okay, Hinamori. It was a while ago, anyway." He grinned while he said this, but Amu could tell that he was trying to act tough. He was evidently still hurt from the event. _He still likes her…_

"Break over! Everyone back up!" The assistant director called out to everyone, and Amu hastily screwed the lid of her bottle closed.

"Don't worry Kukai!" She quietly cheered for him with a thumbs-up signal, which he returned with the same excitement and signature smirk. Her support had made him feel better from the previously down feelings, and Amu could tell he had significantly cheered up a little.

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><p><strong>UTAU HOSHINA<strong>

Following – or in more accurate words, stalking – Amu was not the main reason why the duo had arrived in New Zealand.

Utau was shocked at the fact that Amu had no knowledge of who was involved in the production of her movie – it was to be expected, judging from how naïve and spaced out Amu often was, but the blonde had also heard that she had forgotten that the director of the movie was one of the most acclaimed in Japan.  
><em>Somehow, it prevents all the drama which could have occurred if she did know, <em>Utau told herself as she wandered around the studio, searching, until a short woman with headphones around her neck seemed to recognize her.

"Oh? Hoshina Utau!" She gasped, pointing at the slightly shocked idol, and she quickly shuffled forward in order to raise a hand for a shake. "Why are you here in New Zealand?"

The blonde internally groaned at her carelessness – since there was a _Japanese _director as well as _Japanese_ actors, she scolded herself internally for forgetting that there would obviously be _Japanese _staff members as well. Thus, her 'incognito' appearance was recognized instantly, since it somehow became a fashion trend after one reporter discovered her in the big-hat-and-purple-shades attire.

"Well, I came to visit Amu. I'd rather you not let it slip that I'm here." She coldly stated – and partially lied – and she was thankful that the majority of the staff were not Japanese, thus not many would have heard of her.

"Oh, okay! But I must take this opportunity! I'm the head music director, and it would be an honor if you provided the voice for the soundtrack!" The short woman beamed excitedly.

Utau raised her hand to decline, but before she could say a word, a thought suddenly arose in her mind.

…_the soundtrack? Does that mean…?_

"Alright. I'd be honored."

"Brilliant! Now please follow me, Hoshina-san." The music director exclaimed happily as she grabbed hold of Utau's arm and pulled her away from the filming set.

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><p>Utau didn't bother to wave back at the overly excitable music director as she left her at the door of the music studio. In fact, it was hard enough for her to pay attention to the instructions she received, as well as their explanations of the sound track's concept and wanted reactions. She exhaled deeply – it was relieving to no longer have anyone watching her as they instructed her on what to sing.<p>

She knew what to do. She was a long-time idol, after all.

As soon as she placed her hand on the doorknob, a familiar sound came from within the empty recording studio. A sound which she had grown up listening to every day – a sound which she hadn't heard for a long time until that moment.

The sound of a violin.

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><p><em><strong>AN: Yes, it's a short chapter. Blame me all you want, because I will state the truth: I'm leaving the Shugo Chara fandom. If you read this now, you probably haven't heard of me - and it's alright, because I haven't contributed much recently. However, what I don't want to do is leave my SC stories incomplete. Therefore, I will try to complete Potentially United as well as the Sinful Seven.**_

_**However, I have my reasons on why I'm leaving the Shugo Chara fandom - support. I feel that I have quite a few silent readers, and after a discussion I recently had with another FFn writer about her reasons, I found out why I lost motivation in writing for Shugo Chara. No one really motivates me - and reviews are what motivate me the most. Call me whatever you want, but I don't think I can finish unless I get the support which can drive me to finish this story for you. So please, review for me! :)**_

_**P.S. Potentially United is past halfway it's progression - and it might end (officially) soon. So I'd really appreciate it if you support me by voicing your opinion on this story. Thanks!**_

_**-WIN**_


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